Automatically-threading loom shuttle



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AUTOMATICALLY THREADING LOOM SHUTTLE.

APPLICATION FILED.SEPT.2. 1921.

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ISAAC SNOW, 0F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, f

OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

AUTOMATICALLY-THRADING LOOM SHUTTLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. '7, 1922.

Application filed September 2, 1921. Serial No. 497,844. v

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ISAAC SNow, a citi' zen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented 'an Improvement in Automatically-Threading Loom Shuttles, of which the following descrip tion, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawings representing like parts. Y

This. invention relates to automatically threading loom shuttles which are used in looms wherein the weft or filling is automatically replenished from time to time. ln looms of this type, the filling or weft cai'- riers are located in a magazine, and the ends of the threads are secured to a holder. When a carrier is inserted into the shuttle during the operationof the loom, and the shuttle is picked for the ii'ist time across the lay, the'thread is drawn from the y{illing carrier within the shuttle and the shuttle becomes preliminarily or partially threaded. On the return trip of the shiittle the thread is fully threaded so that the thread then leads from the side delivery eye.

In the subsequent operation of the loom, and owing to the sudden stop of the shuttle at the' end of each pick, the thread which is withdrawn from the iilling carrier is liable to be overthrown -from the shuttle and form a loop which in many cases either cffectsfan" unthreading of the loom shuttle or breaks the thread on the ollowing'pick.

An important feature of the present invention, therefore, consists of a threadcr i'or loom shuttles which shall be reliable and ciiective in threading the shuttle and vthereafter during the operation of the loom, shall Aprevent unthreading or breaking of the thread.

These characteristics of the invention and `other novel features and combinations ot parts will best be made clear from the following description and accompanying` drawings which show one good, practical forni of the invention, wherein A Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the -threading end portion of the shuttle provided with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the automatic threader;

Figure 3 is an end view of the threader, substantially on the same scale as Fig. 2,

an'dfl'ooking from the bobbin chamber toward the rear end of the threader;`

Figure 4 is an end view of the threader looking from the front or leading end and at one side of the longitudinal center of the threader; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the threader, showing more particularly the thread rest, the thread retaining hooks, andl the thread guard which extends upwardly into the space between the hooks.

The shuttle l is provided with the bobbin chamber 2 in which is held the bobbin or filling carrier 3, as usual. The leading or front end portion of the shuttle has the thread receiving passage 4 which isinclined downwardly toward the thread passage of the threader. The thread -receiving passage 4 receives the standing portion of the thread A a, as indicated by dotted lines in F ig. 1, when Athe shuttle is iii-st picked after a repleiiishing operatioin'and serves to permit the thread to pass into the control of the threader'. Extending laterally from the thread-receiving passage is the usual guide Slot 5 which leads to the side delivery eye 6 formed in the wood of the shuttle. The parts thus far des'cribed are or may be of usual construction.

The automatic threader is shown as formed of Ja single piece or casting which may be advantageously employed in the construction of the thi'eadei; but it is not intended to circunlscribe the invention by having the threader formed of a single casting or piece. A

As shown, the threadcr 7 'has a longitudina]ly-extending thread passage 8 and a thread directing t'op guide 9, the surface of which, as best indicated iii Fi". 4, curves troni the top portion or suriace of the shuttle downwardly toward the opposite side of the shuttle and overlies the thread passage 8. At the leading end portion of the thi'cadcr is the horn l() which has the downwardly-inclined edge portion 11 for, di-

recting the thread downwardly and under` from the thread passage to the side delivery eye, as best indicated in Fig. 1. Where the -threader is formed of a single block or castversely extending opening 15 may be formed in the threader for the reception of a securing bolt 16, as indicated in Fig. 1, the construction being such that when the threader is in place in the cavity formed for its reception in the wood 0f the shuttle, the projection 14 and the securing bolt 16 serve in connection with the wood of the shuttle to hold the threader in place. rlhe parts thus far described may be of usual construction, and as shown are well adapted for cooperative relation with the main features of the present invention.

Extending at one side of the thread passage 8 is a thread rest 17 .l on which the standing part of the thread a (see dotted lines, Fig. 1) may rest as the thread is drawn from the shuttle on 4the first pick following replenishment. The thread rest 17 is preferably inclined downwardly from the leading or delivery end of the threader to ward the entrance of the thread passage 8, as best indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, the inclination of the rest being preferably such that the thread rest 17 merges into the inoline surface of the thread-receiving passage 4 without abruptness.

The thread directing top guide 9 has a downwardly curved edge portion 18 which overlies the thread rest 17 more or less, and is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, the inclination being such that the portion of the three d directing top guide adjacent the bobbin chamber is closer to the opposite wall of' the shuttle than is the leading end of vthe top guide, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The thread directing topguide 9 is provided with two thread retaining hooks 19 and 20, thc leading hook 19 being pointed toward the bobbin chamber while the hook 2() is pointed in the opposite direction or toward the adjacent end of the shuttle. IThe two hooks may be generally similar except that they point in opposite directions, but in the presentinstance ofv the invention the hook 2() has its end portion 21 inturned in order to facilitate the entrance of the thread into the thread passage, as will presently appear, and further to prevent the thread from being thrown from the thread passage during the flight of the shuttle.

The-thread retaining hooks 19 and 20 are shown as formed integral with and extending downwardly from the thread directing top guide 9 toward the thread rest 17. The edge portions 22 and 23 of' the thread retain* vthe enlarged opening thus provided gives .greater assurance otl the entrance ot the thread from the thread rest .through the thread side passage into the thread passage of the threader.`

The surface or edge portion 25 0f the hook 20 adjacent the entrance end ot the thread passage is preferably cunved frontwardly or turnedtowardthe end of the shuttle as indicated in Ffig. 5 Iin order to cast any loop that may be fjormed about the hook 20 duringthe weaving operation.

As more clearly indicated in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the thread retaining hooks 19 and 2O project in a gradually curved direction downwardly toward the thread rest without obstructing the free entrance of the thread between the edge 18 of the thread directing top guide and the opposite sidev wall 26 of the shuttle. By this construction the thread isgiven free and unobstructed access to the thread rest during the first flight of the shuttle after replenishment and is supported for entrance through the thread side passage into thethread passage 8.

Extending upwardly from the thread rest 17 is the guard 27 which projects into the space between the hooks 19 and 20, the construction being such that after the thread has passed throughthe thread side passage leading to the thread passage 8, it will be effectively prevented from' escaping from the thread passage in the opposite direction during weaving.

As shown, the guard 27 is extended upwardly from the thread rest 17 and is formed integral therewith, but obviously this is not always essential, the essential being that it extend upwardly into the space between the .hooks to perform its described function.

When the thread finds its seat on the thread rest 17 and is being swirled by the withdrawal of-the thread from the shuttle, it is desirable that the thread be directed throu h the thread side passage over the top of the guard 27, and to this en d the outer surface portion of the guard as at 28, is upwardly curved or rounded from the thread rest 17 so that the thread will readily be guided 'upwardly upon and over the top of the thread guard 27.

The leading end portion of the thread rest 17, that is, the end nearer the tip ofl the shuttle, is preferably made wider than the end of the rest adjacent the entrance to the thread passage, and while this is found to be advantageous in practice, it may not always be necessary.

Where the thread rest 17 is inclined downwardly toward the bobbin chamber as shown, the hooks 19 and 2O extend different distances from the thread directing top guide 9, the construction being such that the thread side passage may` be formed substantially as indicated in ig. 5, wherein the distance between the surface of the thread rest 17 and the adjacent surfaces of the two hooks 19 and 20 are substantially the same, and such edges of the hooks lpreferably overlie the adjacent edge portion of the thread rest next to the thread passage.

l/Vhen the shuttle is first picked after a replenishing operation, the thread drawn from the shuttle takes position. substantially as indicated by dotted lines a, Fig. 1, wherein it will be noted that the thread extends over and rests upon the thread rest 17 and upon the surface of the thread receiving passage 4; and as the shuttle proceeds to the opposite side of the loom, and the thread is unwound from the filling carrier or bobbin,

theswirl action of the thread carries the part that rests upon the thread rest through the thread side passage into the thread passage 8, the directing surface 28 acting at such times to direct the bight of thread up over and beyond the guard 27. On the next pick of the shuttle, the thread a will be held by the opposite selvage and will thereupon be drawn through the passage 5 into the side delivery eye 6. The shuttle is then completely threaded. During the weaving operation, the guard 27 which extends into the space between the hooks 19 and 20 effectively prevents unthreading of the shuttle. It', by any chance, the thread should leave the side delivery eye and pass beyond one ot the hooks 19 or 20, 'the other hook will serve to maintain the thread in the threader without breaking, so that on the succeeding picks oit the shuttle, the thread will again be finally drawn into the side delivery eye.

What is claimed is:

l. An automatically threading shuttle, having, in combination, a side delivery eye,` a threader having a thread passage communicating with the side delivery eye, a thread rest at one side ot' the thread passage inclined downwardly toward the bobbin chamber, a thread directing top guide having downwardly extending thread retaining hoolcs which form a thread lside entrance trom thev thread rest to the thread passage, and a guard extending upwardly from the thread rest linto the space between the hooks and obstructing the thread side entrance.

2. Athreader for automatically threading loom shuttles having a longitudinally extending thread passage, an inclined rest at one sideof the thread 'passage and communicating therewith, two hooks extended downwardly from the top of the threader different distances ,toward the thread restv and forming a thread side passa e between into the space between the downwardly ex-l tended hooks.

4. An automatically threading shuttle having, in combination, a thread receiving depression and a side delivery eye, a threader having a longitudinally-extending| thread passage communicating with the side delivery eye, thread retaining hooks extending in opposite directions at one side of the thread passage, and a guard extendin upwardly from the lower portion o the threader into the space betweenthe thread retaining hooks.

5. An automatically threading shuttle having, in combination, a side delivery eye, a threader having a longitudinally extending thread passage communicating with the side delivery eye, a thread rest at one side ot the thread passage, thread retaining hooks which extend downwardly from the top guide of the threader toward the thread rest, and a thread guard extending upwardly adjacent the side entrance to the thread passage into the space between the thread retaining hooks.

6. A threader 'for automatically threading loom shuttles having a longitudinal etween thread passage, a thread rest at one side of.

ing a thread side entrance to the thread' passage, and a combined thread director and guard extending into the space between the thread retaining hooks and having an outer thread directlng surface for directingthe thread through the thread side entrance to the thread passage as the thread is withdrawn from the shuttle.

8. A threader for loom shuttles havingr a longitudinally extending thread passage, a

' thread directingtop guide, a thread rest at one side of the thread passage, thread retaining hooks which extend downwardly toward thethread rest and forma thread side entrance between the thread rest and hooks,

, and a kcombined thread director and guard extended from the thread rest into the space between the retaining hooks.

9. A threader for automatically threading loom shuttles having a thread passage, a thread rest atinne side of the thread passage and inclined4 downwardly towardthe entrance to the thread passage, a thread directing top guide, two thread retaining hooks -extended downwardly toward the inclined thread rest amounts determined by the inclination of the thread rest and forming in connection therewith a thread side entrance, and a guard extended u wardly from the inclined thread rest into t e space between the hooks.

In testimony whereof, have signed my name to this specification EISALC' SNOW. 

